davis



(No modlf) FIG-.2-

Patented Sept. 27, I898.

B. wf DAVIS. PNEUMATIC BICYCLE SADDLE. (Application filed Mar. 10, 1867.

m2 mmms PZTERS ca. Pnomuruo., wnsnma mu. :2. c.

lips, in the'count'yof Price and State'of'Wis- I advantages, over the pnenmatic seats oroth and combinations hereinafter described and:

k to the accompanying r sents the view, partlyinsectlon and partly m'elevation, of another a seamless fo m: of, any

perienced by the rider to some degree,

sw m twea s Application filed llllarch 10, I897. To (all wheat it'mwycohccrni:

v e a, known that re m-Ann: W. Davis," a j citizen of the United States, residing atPhilcousin, have invented certaiiin'ew and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Bicycle-Saddles; and I do hereby declare the following to'b'e a full, clear, and exact description of the in-1' the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same. y L Myinvention relates tojimprovementsin' bicycle-seats and seat-stor vario'us'other purposes, andjhas for its object to provide an im-- possesses many proved pneumatic seat which seats for similar purposes now innse. My invention consists of theinovelfeaturesf' claimed, and will be understood'by reference drawingsflvherein similar parts are indicated by similar letters throughout the several views, I Figure lreprese'ntsa topplan view of-on'e improved seat. Fig.'f2 f'represents atop plan view of the bottomair reserv i or, xpans n-tube; h ldw' o h e tions being shown'in'section. 'Fig. Sreprepneu natic seat in side elevation.

,Fi'g, trepresents an enlarged crosssection through theseat, taken on theline 44 in Fig.

enlarged vertical section thereim' Fig. '6} is 1 1 QnIarged partial 'seci odified form of'val-vein Fig. 6, Fig.81is'aplan view ofaseat-frame for use with theform of sad'dlel shown in'Fig; 9; and Fig. Ois a side m Y hii 1- a a t I nth'e construction of pneumatic seatsand cushions as now generally used it has ,ordi narily been the practice to employ only one inflated bag or tube, or when more than one bag or tube has been used they have been isolated fromeach-otherwith respect to the air connection between them; or the bag or tube was composed of various cells so connected as to be practicallyone large chamber. While such a structure would lessen'the shock exthe restructed as-foll ow 1 vention, such aswill enable others skilled in compartments valve, while, it

ram" to that of the sea'tqcushion ehipl po s.

I coil in such astructure'is often great enough 'tothrow the person entirelyofi the: seat; T0 obviate this recoil, as wellas reduce mamm- "ninm the shock experienced'loy the :rider, or present inventiomy-and in orderftozaccom= plish this result my improved seat is con- {A' represents an air-cushion consisting of an inner tube of rubber 0b,tcovered with a leather casin g a. This cushion A constitutes the'top or seat cushionand isJof anysuitable shape, such as heart-shaped-gwith a' cent-ral persono'ccupying thes'e'atfis the object of this 4 v opening A; as shownin Figkl; The cushion A may eitherbe "provided with one or more partitions a as shown in dotted: lines in -Fi g. 1,; or m y be one continuousairechamber, as

1 preferred. Thisi cushion; is; preferably fiat toned on one side insuch a manner as :to :be

mentsby partition'syas above" referred to, a small hole through each partition alfords a communication between. all of, the compartments, but restricts thefpassage ofthe-air fromfone to the. other to such-anextent-as to prevent a rapid or sudden collapseofaany one compartment: L Thisarrangemen t allows the to all be inflated jfromia single van'tageons in large cushions.

The seat-framemay be of either wood-or metal, as preferred,'and of a shape -to"con- The Cashion is inflated th rough the valve Aiwhich may be of any-form andloc'ation suitable for represents a rubber air-tube located benaththe seat-cushionAandframe" O,and I connectedto the saidseatfr'ame and cushion bymeans of a plurality of hollow tubes D, having central openings f'val've-seats therein. VaIVesDF-lre mounted in said tubes, and each a small" passage'd 'therethrough, as shown in Fig'45. This passage in the valve is small enough to allow the downward pressurezof the air to displace th valve to return to its'seatwhen'airbegins to return from theflowerf tube" 'B'back to the tube A and then allow the an. to 'sIowIy-retu'rn It; provided with valve is provid ed with e valve, but 'toica'use the sure from above and below has become equal,

re'ndersthem practically indefpendentofeach other, a'nd is particularly a dwhen the valve will fall upon the cross-wires d and leave a free passage for the air down-- ward.

The upper cushion A communicates with the tube. B through the passagesa and the valve-ports (1, there being a valve-port communicating with said cushion.

each compartment of the The air-tube or{expansion-reservoir .13 is made of rubber sufficiently thin to be much more susceptible to expansion than the seatcushion A, and may be of any desired form, according to conditions or the character of the seat. shown inFigs. 2, 3, and 4, this expansion-tube would ordinarily be made to conform to the shape of the seat-cushion A, and may or may not be divided into compartments by means of perforated partitions 12, (indicated by dotted lines'in'Fig. 2,) similar to the'partitions o in theseat-cushion above'described.

Instead of the conical valve shown in Figs.

I i and 5 i I may use a flap-valve E,-provided with a central perforation e, as shown in Figs. 1'

6 and 7, if preferred. v

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated -a saddle wherein the seat-cushion is mounted between two frames connected by sliding bolts, which allow the upper frame to rise and fall with the weight of the person. The upper frame F may ormaynot-be padded, as shown, while the lowerframe F may be of any suitable rigid material of suflicientstreng'th and mounted upon the seat-post F yby means of rods or springs-[E], as is-alsotlieseat shown in Figs-.-

1, 3, and 4. The rods 'eare preferably fixed to the upper seat-frame and slide in openings in the lower-frame F. InFig. '9 I have also showna portion of anadditional rubber tube which opens into the tube B and may be of any desired length and coiled or stowedupon the seat or vehicle in-any convenient man- 'ner.. In this case the tube 1) is-.not so large as whensuch additional tube is not used.

The cushion A and the expansion-tube 3 having been inflated, theaction of the seat is as follows: A sudden downward pressure upon the cushion A-compresses the air therein will not rebound so suddenly as to be disagreeable or uncomfortable to the "person sitting thereon. I i 1 v 1 I I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and'described, as many modifications of my inventionmight be made which could be used with- If used with a bicycle-seat, as

-binati0.n with'a out departing from the spirit of myinvention. 1

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. ha pneumatic seatfor bicycles, the combination of a supporting-frame, an elastic .pneumaticcushion comprising two fluidchambers,and means connected to said chambers for permitting the free passage of the fluid in one direction, and restricting its passage in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

- 2. In apneumatic seatfor bicycles the combination with a'sea't, of an elastic support therefor comprising two fluid-chambers and an intermediate connecting-passage between the-chambers, saidpassage provided with means for permitting free passage of the fluid in one direction and preventingits free passage inanother direction from one of said chambers to the other, substantiallyas described.

3. In a pneumatic seat for bicycles, the combination with an elastic air-cushi on,of a seatframe supporting said cushion, an expansible air-receptacle attached to and communicating with said cushion by air-passages, valves sages in one direction and retardits flow'in the opposite direction, ing said cushion-and airereceptacla-substantially as described. y

4. In a pneumaticseatforbicycles the comhollow'cushio'n divided into compartments and capable of being inflated,

of a seat-frame supporting said cushion, an

expansible air-receptacle beneath said cushion; air-passages connectin g the said cushion and air-receptacle, and means for admitting the flow of air under'pressure from the cushion to the receptacle and restricting its return from the receptacle to the cushion, and means for inflating'said cushion and reservoir, substantially as described.

' 5. Ina pneumatic seat for bicycles, the combination with a hollow cushion divided into communicating compartments and capable of being inflated. of a seat-frame supporting said and means for inflat- 1 cushion, an expansible air-receptacle beneath said cushion and also divided into communicating compartments, air-passages connecting the said cushion and air-receptacle, a perforated valve so arrangedatone end of each of saidair-passages as to allow free passage of air from said cushion to saidair-receptaole, but to restrict the passage of the air in the reverse directiomand an inflating-valve attached to said cushion, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof Ialfix my signature I in presence of two' witnesses. I

BENJAMIN DAVIS.

Witnesses: f

' 9 E. J. RIORDAN,

M. CHRISTIANSON."

. 95 mounted in said passages and adapted to ad- I "mit the flow of air under pressure in said pas- 

